


Ratatouille

by mrs_leary (julie)



Category: Merlin (TV) RPF
Genre: Food Sex, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-08-28
Updated: 2011-08-28
Packaged: 2017-10-23 03:46:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,537
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/245967
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/julie/pseuds/mrs_leary
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Colin encourages Bradley to eat more vegetables…</p>
            </blockquote>





	Ratatouille

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Venivincere](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Venivincere/gifts), [Nympha_Alba](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nympha_Alba/gifts).



> A little morsel for these two enablers extraordinaire! ♥

♦

‘Are you going to have some steak?’ Bradley asked as he brought his plate piled high with grilled meats over to the table.

Colin snorted. ‘No, thanks. I’ll have some of that bread, though…’

‘Course. Help yourself.’

He reached for a couple of thick slices of the crusty grainy loaf that Bradley had bought at the markets on his way home, and found it still warm from the oven. Colin murmured appreciatively, and grinned his thanks.

Bradley had settled just around the corner from him, lifting his chin in easy acknowledgement, and comfortable, as if he belonged there. Which he did, of course. Bradley had belonged here at Colin’s flat – at _their_ flat – for three months or more now, and already they had habits, routines, the beginnings of shared acts that might become traditions if they had time enough together. Already Bradley would know what was needed when, as if he were almost as aware of Colin’s needs as Colin himself. Like right now, as he passed the butter with one hand while reaching for a couple of slices of the bread for himself with the other, apparently without thinking about any of it. A trivial example, maybe, Colin reflected, but such moments warmed his heart.

‘Have some ratatouille,’ Colin offered, gesturing at the baking dish, half of the contents already plundered and piled on his own plate.

Bradley did him the courtesy of considering the dish, but couldn’t help sniffing in disapproval. ‘No, thanks.’

‘You ought to eat more vegetables.’

‘You ought to eat more meat.’

Colin let out a growling sigh. ‘A man can live without meat. He _can’t_ live without vegetables.’

‘I’m doing fine.’

‘Bradley –’

‘Let’s just see,’ Bradley cut across him. ‘We’ll just see, eh?’

‘We’ll see what?’

Bradley cast him a dark glance. ‘We’ll see who’s weeping for whom at whose funeral…’

Colin opened his mouth to retort, and then totally blanked. Scrambled to catch up. Could Bradley possibly have meant…? Surely not. ‘So, that’s how it’s gonna be, is it, James?’ he finally asked in sardonic tones. ‘To fuck and… to fuck, till our differing diets do us part.’

A careless shrug. ‘Sounds fine to me.’

‘Except for the weeping.’

Another shrug, and a wicked flash from those blue sky eyes. ‘Don’t worry, there’ll be someone to comfort me, I’m sure.’

‘Heh,’ he offered, half laughing and half sceptical. ‘You always were a slut, James.’

‘Takes one to know one, Morgan.’

Silence for a few moments as they each made a start on their respective dinners.

‘The thing is,’ Bradley eventually offered, ‘vegetables aren’t sexy.’

‘What…?’

‘ _Meat_ is sexy. Vegetables are just… boring.’

Colin stared at him in astonishment. ‘You’ve got to be kidding.’

Bradley frowned back, and answered seriously. ‘No, I’m not.’

‘Vegetables aren’t sexy,’ he repeated, flatly disbelieving.

‘That’s what I said!’

‘Right,’ said Colin. He put down his knife and fork, and went to the fridge for a moment. Came back and perched his rear on his chair, leaning in towards Bradley –

Bradley, who was watching him in interest but also with a hint of wariness. ‘What are you up to, Morgan?’

Colin turned his hand up between them to reveal… a firm swell of dark purple, the rounded rear of it resting cupped in his palm. ‘This,’ he announced, ‘is an aubergine.’

‘I know what it is, Col.’

‘Then you know its rich colour, almost black but for where it catches the light, where it deepens into a heart’s blood purple.’ He began running a slow fingertip down the length of the thing, from the narrow end with its rasping leaves down the smooth skin. ‘You know its voluptuous shape, like the most perfect back you ever saw on a lovely girl. You know its white hearty flesh, so firm, so satisfying…’ He collected a strip of aubergine from the ratatouille on his plate, held it dangling between thumb and forefinger for a moment while Bradley watched, hardly even remembering that he should be resisting this seduction – and then Colin lifted his hand, tilted back his head, and let the titbit fall into his own mouth, where he let it roll around on his tongue, savouring the flavour of the tomatoes and the herbs and then the pungent texture of the aubergine itself. He murmured his appreciation, and swallowed –

And found that Bradley was looking a bit miffed at missing out.

‘There’s a meal, right there,’ Colin said, scooping up another strip of aubergine, and offering it to Bradley, holding his hand under it to catch a drop of sauce – and then Bradley was chewing at the vegetable, while watching Colin lick the sauce off his own palm.

Colin pretty much had the man already.

‘Then there’s the basil,’ he continued relentlessly, getting up to fetch the basil plant in its pot from the windowsill, and bringing it back, bearing the pot in both hands while he consciously tried to jut a bit of sexiness into his hips. He perched on the chair again, placing the basil on the corner of the table between them. ‘Look at the leaves… so abundant, so fresh and green and alive…’ He was going to tear off a pair of large leaves, but suddenly couldn’t bear to do so – even Bradley seemed to huff a protest – and anyway he needn’t, because just stirring the plant released its bright sweet scent. ‘So delicious for taste and smell and sight…’

Bradley watched wide–eyed as Colin returned to the fridge.

‘And _this_ needs no explanation,’ Colin offered, as this time he went to prop his rear against the table on Bradley’s other side. He turned one hand over to reveal… ‘A courgette!’

Bradley snickered happily.

‘So plump and firm,’ Colin murmured, lifting it to his lips to kiss the rounded tip, then to run the flat of his tongue down the long curving side of it.

Bradley was back to being totally wide–eyed.

‘So perfectly shaped… just the right thickness… just the right length…’ Colin held it pressed against his cheek, as he had sometimes been wont to do with Bradley’s hard cock before he went down on him. ‘And then these… Here, close your eyes and hold out your hand.’

Bradley did so without hesitation.

‘Here, hold these gently. Roll them in your palm…’ Two of the larger cherry tomatoes.

And Bradley smiled as he obeyed, perhaps remembering that he had sometimes rolled Colin’s balls in his hand, just so, providing both pleasure and provocation before finally letting Colin work towards the end.

‘Together…’ Colin murmured, letting one long finger trail through the sauce in the baking dish. ‘Together, they are so delicious, taking on each other’s flavours, transforming their own textures…’ He lifted the finger to his own mouth, and sucked on the herby garlicky tomato sauce, while Bradley watched him, almost whimpering in disappointed need. Colin smiled to himself, and scooped up some more sauce – held it carefully out to Bradley, who took Colin’s finger into his mouth, sucked it clean, and then swirled his tongue around the flesh for good measure. At which Colin almost whimpered, too.

‘And that’s not to mention…’ Colin continued, scooping up more sauce, ‘the crisp succulent peppers,’ as he swiped the sauce across his own lips –

And Bradley surged to his feet to press a hungry mouth to Colin’s, to lick after every little drop.

Colin shivered – and when Bradley stood tall again, Colin quickly stripped off his own t–shirt, daubed sauce across one nipple – Bradley bent to suck upon it, hands pliant on Colin’s waist.

‘The sweetness of the onions,’ Colin managed. He lay back on the table, his legs encompassing Bradley’s waist, drawing him close. He reached for another strip of aubergine, this time heavier with sauce and a sliver of onion – and he lay the food on his bare stomach.

Bradley leaned down to graze at it, his hands clasping Colin’s hips.

‘The smoky bite of black pepper.’ A handful of the ratatouille now, with the broken–up slices of courgette, and the still–vivid red and green of the peppers along with the dark dottings of black pepper.

Bradley eating intently now, licking at the serving platter as he finished it all, while Colin licked his own hand clean again – and then Colin swiped more sauce across Bradley’s lips, and he pushed up onto his elbows to meet that gorgeous mouth for a kiss, and they devoured each other for a time.

Until Bradley finally lifted up again, bringing Colin up with him to sit there on the edge of the table, dazed and needy and _clinging_ to his lover. ‘ _God_ , Morgan,’ Bradley swore – ‘who needs food at all, when he has you?’

‘Dunno,’ Colin replied, breathless. ‘Maybe we can find a use for it?’

‘Maybe we can,’ Bradley agreed. ‘Here,’ he said, ‘hang on.’

Colin’s legs were still locked around Bradley’s waist, so he now wound his arms around Bradley’s shoulders, and pressed close, tucking his face in against that lovely strong warm throat. Bradley stood, his hands fitting themselves to Colin’s rear, and he began walking towards Colin’s – _their_ bedroom.

‘We ought to have more sex,’ Bradley observed.

Colin let out a sighing growl. ‘For _always_.’

♦


End file.
